Institution: government has granted access but no permanent office; "hundreds" of mass graves documented

Carla Quintana told correspondents that the Syrian government has granted field access to the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria but has not yet approved a permanent office inside the country.

"We have been granted access by this government, and that was not the case before," Quintana said, adding that the institution has repeatedly requested an office because a permanent presence would improve trust-building and outreach to families. She said the government is reviewing multiple UN office requests and that a visit by the UN secretary-general could help secure approval.

Quintana said the institution has documented "hundreds" of mass graves and has offered its analysis to the national commission on missing persons. She cautioned that identifying remains at this scale requires established scientific processes and capacity and noted that national authorities have mentioned opening mass graves in 2027 or 2028.

Quintana also referenced ongoing work in prisons and noted the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) involvement in prison-related documentation. She said the institution is pressing for established identification procedures before large-scale exhumations and identifications proceed.